CTX 3030 - best tips......got one on the way!

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Best tip on 3030.... Buy Andy Sabisch's book "Handbook For CTX3030", it is almost 200 pages of tips.... First thing I did was get rid of the 50 tone conductive and changed the tone profile to 4 tone combined. (4 tone plus iron)

TH, if I may ask, Why did you dump 50C for 4Tone? I have never been able to get a satisfactory answer as to why a person would want to have less audio data available to his brain except for a new hunter that is overwhelmed or because 'its the way I used my old machine'. I am not belittling anyone, just trying to understand if theres a better way.


(( I concur on Andy's book of course. I would add that you should become comfortable with your CTX before attending a Bootcamp. its still worth the money and time, but you will get a lot more out of it if you know what questions to ask imo))

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Because for me it is impossible to memorize 50 tones, 4 is easy..

January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

 

[Geobound]

Okay I'm on board, I just picked up my CTX 3030.

I tried hard to get it from one of our forum sponsors here, but living in Canada just made the duty, taxes and exchange rates an impossible task.

I can't complain though, as I did get it through a very reputable Minelab dealer in Canada.

Since I couldn't make the deal with Bart with the Gone Hunting program isn't available to me, but I've heard its a great program.

Although that does beg the question, are all these great programs mainly applicable to US coins?

I know that silver is silver, and gold is gold, but the content of the rest of our coins is different than yours?

Repeatable is digable on all machines so I'm not too bothered with that, it's just getting to learn the VDI numbers on a Minelab vs my AT Pro.

We only have one set of numbers to work with there, where now I have to look at both the FE and the CO numbers.

It would appear that the mid 40's is the sweet spot for the CO numbers, but what's the sweet spot for the FE?

12's seem to be the ones that people talk about the most, but what makes a 12 better than say a 1 or a 6?

I'm going to try and get my hands on Andy's book, but thought that I would ask some of you pros here first.

Now if I could only find a way to stop the snow and rain, I'd be all set! LOL.......

 

[cudamark]

Most of the good targets have a ferrous reading on or around the 12 line. That being said, location and mineralization of the soil can alter that. BIG silver can also be on the 01 line. It will take some field experience to judge what to dig at your particular sites. I'd start by digging everything with a solid sound using the factory coin pattern. Once you get used to the machine, you can start modifying that program or by loading one more suited to what you're searching. Start by scanning a bunch of different targets in an air test. Toggle back and forth between the coin program and an open screen. You'll see what iron targets read (and get disc'ed out in coin) and what coins, foil, tabs, and gold rings read and how they sound. Have fun!

 

[Geobound]

Most of the good targets have a ferrous reading on or around the 12 line. That being said, location and mineralization of the soil can alter that. BIG silver can also be on the 01 line. It will take some field experience to judge what to dig at your particular sites. I'd start by digging everything with a solid sound using the factory coin pattern. Once you get used to the machine, you can start modifying that program or by loading one more suited to what you're searching.

I think the biggest issue is that I am still snowed in and am dying to use it.

The more I look at it sitting there, the more I start to overanalyze everything. LOL......

I know the way my mind works, once I'm out there I will dig every repeatable target anyway.

It's just getting my head around the two sets of numbers.

Somebody told me that the first numbers went from small targets starting at 1, and giant targets at 15+.

I know you can't compare the At Pro to a CTX 3030, but single numbers (at this point) seem so much easier.

 

[cudamark]

Don't worry, soon enough you will be getting those 01-23 bottle caps! I haven't found anything else that reads like those, so, they're easy to ignore compared to other machines with only one number.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I know you can't compare the At Pro to a CTX 3030, but single numbers (at this point) seem so much easier.

Yep, I've stated here on TNet that maybe I'd rather not have VDI and just go by the sounds. But there's the science in this machine, adjustable to any situation. Each yard or field is different with lot's of noise. I've dug coins beneath nails, because I had these flutey sounds to tell me there was something else there. Two years in and well more than 100 hours on it, just using the boot-up screen from the factory. Andy's Bootcamp will force me out of that mode.

 

[Geobound]

I would have been happy to attend his boot camp, but he doesn't come to my area at all.

I did think about making a trip across the border, but it just seems like such a hassle and a long way to go right now.

Let me get my 100+ hours on the machine first, and then see where that leaves me. Once I get started, I can quickly get those 100+ hours up though.

It's been nothing for me to put in 8, 10 or 12 hour days with my AT Pro.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

The boot camp I'm attending is in Woodhaven, MI on April 29. Depends on which end of Ontario you're on. I crossed over many many times from Detroit to head to Montreal in pursuit of a lady for 3 years with no issues. She & I just were not meant to be. So, that ended that.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

Read and read and read before you buy. I read Andy's book 3 times and continue to gaze at it daily. Also devour FindMall's forum on the 3030. The machine is unique and don't listen to anybody else except what your machine is telling you in your environment. It will speak to you and you'll understand, sooner than later.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

P.S., Regarding Zinc cents, I found a Hugh Tungsten wedding band that rings in at 12:37 on the 3030, fyi. Also found a thin gold and diamond wedding band (1.22g) in the sand at 12:02, where I also dig a zillion paper and foil tops. Regarding Fe:CO numbers, ya really never know and there is always a chance of missing a great target at 12:37 (Zinc cent) or 12:43 (Brass cent) or 12:02 (foil).

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Tungsten rings to me are worth about the same as zinc pennies. They don't even count in years total as a ring find for me.

Just my opinion.


January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

 

[Geobound]

The boot camp I'm attending is in Woodhaven, MI on April 29. Depends on which end of Ontario you're on. I crossed over many many times from Detroit to head to Montreal in pursuit of a lady for 3 years with no issues. She & I just were not meant to be. So, that ended that.

Hassel was probably the wrong word.

My passport I found out returning from a recent trip has expired, so I need to go and get it renewed.

Having to need a passport to travel from the Canada to the US and vice versa (to me) is a pain in the butt.

I guess because I've crossed the border a zillion times before the instituted the new law, just irks me. I get it, but it still irks me.

I'm guessing from where I am to where the "show is" would be about a 6-8 hour drive, so it's certainly something that I would do.

Perhaps next week I will stop by the passport office and see how long it will take to get it done?

There is something about French women though isn't there? I dated one for years and had a total blast!

Sadly she didn't want to move where I lived, and I didn't want to move where she lived.

 

[Geobound]

Read and read and read before you buy. I read Andy's book 3 times and continue to gaze at it daily. Also devour FindMall's forum on the 3030. The machine is unique and don't listen to anybody else except what your machine is telling you in your environment. It will speak to you and you'll understand, sooner than later.

Just within days somebody gave me a tip on the FIndMalls Forum, so I've signed up already.

There seems to be a lot of really good information on that site.

 

[Geobound]

P.S., Regarding Zinc cents, I found a Hugh Tungsten wedding band that rings in at 12:37 on the 3030, fyi. Also found a thin gold and diamond wedding band (1.22g) in the sand at 12:02, where I also dig a zillion paper and foil tops. Regarding Fe:CO numbers, ya really never know and there is always a chance of missing a great target at 12:37 (Zinc cent) or 12:43 (Brass cent) or 12:02 (foil).

It appears to me that the only targets to dig are the ones that start off with a 12. LOL......

 

[CCadrin]

It appears to me that the only targets to dig are the ones that start off with a 12. LOL......

Ferrous-Coin target separation pushes many of the good targets to the 12 line but I have dug a lot of good deep stuff between 01-25 with a bouncy number using the Ground-Coin and High-Trash separation.

 

[clarkkent57]

Hey, good tips. I just had a CTX fall into my lap for $1300 and haven't hunted in over a decade. Guess the book is the way to go!

 

[Geobound]

So I've been out with the machine for a few weeks now, and I'm still digging at the targets to make sure I don't miss anything........well almost all the targets.

I'm at 7 or 8 silver already (1910 dime right on up to a 1967 Kennedy half), and feel like I am still a zillion miles away from learning this thing.

I will say one thing though, this sucker is a penny magnet!

I have found silver under the 01 numbers, but don't recall what the other was?

12's are still where it's at, but so are the ring pulls, foil, canslaw and other bits of junk.

As much as I find it harder to workout than others have indicated, I'm still quite enjoying it, and finding more now than I was with the AT Pro.

As in real estate though........location, location, location.

If I accidentally deleted the stock silver program, is there a way to get it back?

Google here I come, but I thought I would throw it out here anyway.

 

[doninbrewster]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. Anyone else got any hints for a first timer? Lots of guys had minelabs for several years. ...what you got!? Thanks

Biggest tip I could give a newby to the CTX is check and make sure it's in AUTO mode when you start. I've heard they come from the factory set in manual and that can be VERY noisy depending on the sensitivity level. Start with Auto+3. If it chatters from to much garbage or nearby electrical interference drop it down a notch. Hunt with an open screen to start with. Yes, you will get some garbage targets, but it will help you learn the tones faster. Don't be afraid to dig some iffy junk signals, ever, as the could be a great coin. The CTX is a great machine. I pulled 157 silver coins last year including 10 seated dimes and over 200 Indians. Most of those coins came out of an old park that has been pounded heavily for 40 years. There used to be a White's dealer across the street from the park. CTX will pull Indians when others won't. Great for deep silver.

 

[pjeant]

I just took Andy's one day bootcamp...you can learn most everything you need to know, and he is right there to ask questions...can't recommend it enough! you can find it under minelab bootcamp